Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in last night’s debate in the House of Commons that the Island Deal will be going ahead.
He didn’t go into detail of what that would mean for the Isle of Wight, but following research by Portsmouth University, it was found that because we live on an Island, providing services costs the Isle of Wight council £6.4m more than other local authorities.
It’s the Fairer Funding Review
The MP and Isle of Wight Council have both called on the Government to increase funding by this amount as part of the Fairer Funding Review.
OnTheWight has asked the IWC whether the Island Deal includes anything other than the extra funding that would put the Isle of Wight council on a par with other local authorities.
A spokesperson for the Isle of Wight council confirmed,
“In simple terms the answer is yes, that is right it is about the case that we have made about the additional cost of providing services on an Island that we have raised through the fairer funding review. “
Seely: Politicians, EU and judges putting obstacles “in his way”
During last night’s debate, after some heckling from the opposition, Bob Seely asked,
“There have been some challenges for the Prime Minister in recent weeks, but is he aware that the more that my folks on the Isle of Wight see the obstacles being put in his way—whether they are political from people in this House, or from European leaders or from others, including judges—the more that they are willing him on and the more that they want him to stick the course to deliver Brexit on 31 October and restore trust in our politics.”
Johnson: “We are going to do” it
The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson replied,
“I thank my hon. Friend, who is a doughty and mighty campaigner for the Isle of Wight, as I have seen for myself. I thought that he was going to ask me about the Island deal that we are going to do—I can assure him that we are, do not worry. He is totally right.
“There are obstacles being thrown in our path. The conversations are difficult, but I think that, with good will from the Opposition Benches, we can still do it.”
Article edit
14.04: Clarification from IWC added
